Notebook of Harry Raymond Green -Sep 1941- Apr - 1943 - Part 1

Brave Bluey.

Brave Bluey.

As I sit alone in silence, 

when the moon comes on

I often think off Bluey &

He was just a simple

He came from off the

He dodged for miles women

He was scared stiff off

His life was quiet & peaceful

He knew no cannons row,

Till he heard, those stirring

The army needs you now,

He joined the army Medical

He thought he would do more

He nursed the ill & not to

Or shot his neighbours bloo

He joined a stretcher party,

Through stakes & wire constan

They tried to fetch the stretch

Men died from shot & shell, 

→through

living hell,

he survive the blast,

beside a wounded digger,

save,

-ful

brave, lives eternally on,

a homestead

gallant Blue,

√ JOHORE.

^1/ There's a strip off rubber country

North west from Singapore

To the digger it was a death trap

on the map its called "Johore".

^2/ I was up there against tremendous odds

We boy's put on a show

That was equal to the Anzac's

off Gallippoli long ago.

^3/ But men on ground cannot fight

The terrors off the skies

Without support they just lay still

and wait on death to die.

^4/ Face to face odds matter none

For the digger loves a scrap

But when the skies are full of planes

And each one a "bloody" Jap.

^5/ You begin to (wounder) ^wonder was it a dream

Or in the papers you'd had read

Air support would soon arrive

For production goes ahead.

^6/ Theres a strip off rubber country

Someday we will retake

That is all he'd ask of us

The chap who was a mate.

^7/ Then we will hand Malaya over

For with it goes "Johore"

And we will pray to God we are not called

To defend it any more

The End

√ THE UNIT R.A.P.

^1/ Among the front line soldiers

There is a group you'd always see

Doing the job they came to do

The unit R.A.P.

^2/ No guns or rifles with their gear

Just a ton of guts & words of cheer

None combatant in all this strife

One objection save a life

^3/ Now you & I would see a case

That was not to nice to see

They saw them all & copped the lot

The gallant R.A.P.s.

^4/ These different groups we all must praise

Sigs Motars L.M.G.'s.

But one & all

We dip the lids

To the unit R.A.P.s.

The End

√ A P.O.W. DAY.

^1/ No doubt we were bunnies

To swallow all their talk

Of the Yankies at Port Dickson

and Pommie air support

^2/ They marched us out to Changi

Ten thousand men or more

The fallen by the roadside

(Must) ^Makes us yearn no more for war

^3/ We are planting beans by numbers

We are sloping arms no more

We are through with fighting

For Togo has topped the score.

^4/ We live in shell torn barracks

Minus water, roof & tile

The N.C.O.^s & pippers

Eat with rank & file.

5/ Our clothes are most scanty

Our trousers ripped & torn

We are bloody ^near as naked

As the day when we were born

6/ Our charphoys they have taken

We sleep on them no more

There's nought for us to do

But sleep upon the floor

^7/ We rise at seven thirty

and creep down to the tongs

We think of old rexona

and hope it wont be long.

^8/ We fall in at the A. parade

And answer to our names

It's stand at ease, Stand easy

And the O.C. cries again

^9/ Tales of Japs violence

Tales of Changi goal

Long trecks through the jungle

And God help those who fail.

10/ Next up we have our breakfast

Our appetites to state

In single file we get it

It's rice upon our plate

^11/ The greedy buggers are moaning

The back up is standing by

CPL. Death is leading

With hunger in his eye's

^12/ Next we are duty company

It's work to make us hard

Collecting (meagre) ^measlie rations

Or sweeping up the yard

^13/ Our after lunch sciesta

Is spent in many ways

Dreams of steak & onions

We knew in better days

^14/ We are wakened from our slumber

By a voice thats hard & harsh

Come grab your dirty washing

And to the tongs we'll march

^15/ With shades of evening falling

There are visits we must pay

To Tom, Bill & Harry

Who live across the way

^16/ There are pals from other units

There are mates we'll never see

Then we think of dear old "Aussie"

And our homes across the sea

^17/ The good old two ups going

We brought it to this land

We haven't got much money

But guess we'll have a hand.

^18/ There goes the pennies sailing

We hear the boxer hollow 

Luck is dead against us

And there goes our only dollar.

^19/ Lights out will soon be sounding

and though we are all broke

we know that one amongst us

Will get bitten for a smoke.

^20/ Home ward to our billets

We wend our weary way

To sleep up the concrete

So ends a P.O.W.^s day.

. The End

 √ SOME WHERE IN MALAYA.

^1/ Somewhere in Malaya

There's a bunch of Aussie chaps

Some-where in the jungle

They are waiting for the Japs.

^2/ Some how there not thinking

Of the out come of the fray

Nothing seems to worry them

As long as they get their pay.

^3/ Fines are rather heavy

Pockets always low

These rotten "Coolie" - 

Don't give a man a go

^4/ We are only common infantry

Hard faced boy's & tough

We are the infantry of the army

But a dinkum mob of ruffs.

^5/ We wear no cocky feathers

Or spurs upon our boots

To dazzle all the ladies

As we slouch along the street.

^6/ We swing a pick & shovel

And work hard all day

You can hear the C.O. yelling

I'll make you diggers earn your pay

^7/ Now the trumps will get a brain wave

And want you to salute

Or fall back on the good book

The proper way to shoot.

^8/ They walk around the tent all day

And say you men must shave

Or some other stupid order

That fairly makes you rave.

^9/ Now think of all the sweet ones

Longing to repine

Waiting for a loved one

Far across the brine

^10/ Now if Hitler wants war babies

For his maidens fair

Just remember our old motto boys 

Australia will be there.

The End

√ THE EIGHT DIVVY.

^1/ The sixth are being battered

The seventh are getting hell

The ninth are on no picnic

They are copping theres as well

^2/ Whilst in a distant jungle

Many thousand miles away

The eight divvy is on a holiday

All they do is play.

^3/ Because there are no shells

No bullets flying thick

We have the name of "Glamour Boys"

And by hell it has come to stick.

^4/ Ploughing through the jungle

With mud up to our waist

Every step a mouthful

And what a putrid taste.

^5/ Fighting cobras by the score

And mosquitos by the ton

It's no use denying

We are having lots off fun.

^6/ In case you don't believe us

When I say it's pretty hot

So I'll state a native custom

To show you what is what.

^7/ Every man that dies

Is buried with his overcoat as well

Thats because he'll need it

Just in case he goes to hell.

^8/ So give the Japs Malaya

It isnt worth a zack

and I'll bet my bottom dollar

They'll give the dam place back.

^9/ Though the rubber may be handy

and we find use for the tin

If they keep us here much longer

We'll be mighty thin.

^10/ So take us to the Middle East

Where its cool at night

So we can join the other boys

And help win this fight.

^11/ And if you grant us this favour

Then Miss Shelton Smith can't say

The Eight Division Glamour boys

are on a holiday.

The End

 √ A CROWD OF MEN.

In a prison camp near Singapore

There waits a crowd of men

Hoping soon the day will come

When they'll go home again.

^2/ They fought a fight a gallant fight

But the odds were far to great

They were told they would get air support

That all they had to do was wait.

^3/ Wait they did but wait in vain

And their spirits slowly fell

For instead of getting air support

The Jap bombers gave them hell.

^4/ From morn till night they heard the roar

Of Bombers overhead

And knew if they didn't lay doggo

Their bodies would be riddled with lead.

^5/ The end when it came was a fearful blow

For none of us wished to give in

But women & children were dead in crowds

So we just had to take it & grin. 

^6/ And now we live on rice alone

Still no one minds the same

If only those are well at home

And that we'll soon see them again.

The End.

√ OUR FOLKS AT HOME.

^1/ I a far & distant country

There waits our folks at home

Praying for the day to come

When we to them can roam

^2/ They no not whether we're alive or dead

Still their hopes they let not fly

Its much better they say to look ahead

And hope the time soon flies

^3/ It was in pain they saw us go

Still they gave us a hearty cheer

Praying to God we would soon return

To them some one who's dear.

^4/ And now we think of them each day

As in a prison camp we wait

Knowing God will look after them

And we to them some day will take.

The End

√ THOUGHTS OF SYDNEY.

^1/ How I wish I could see George St.

The bridge & Circular Quay

The fairy bower at Manly

Bondi & the rolling sea.

^2/ I see them all in dreams at night

As I lie in my lonely bed

But when the sunlight comes again

My elusions all have fled.

^3/ I wonder if the ferries

Still run as they use-to do

Trips each Sunday evening

Way across to the zoo.

^4/ How again I love to visit

The dogs at Harold Park

To see the red light glowing

And hear the grey hounds bark.

^5/ The stadiums on Monday nights

The wrestlers on the map

And hear the watchers savage roar

A you can't do that

^6/ Does the Tiv still put on shows

Aclaimed the best around

And what off the boys who go to ^the troc.

^7/ Where gorgous girls are bound.

But thing most off all I miss

And have missed it from the start

Its those romantic evenings

That I spent with my sweetheart.

^8/ One thing I miss most off all

You may think I am queer

It's once again to drink a pot

Off good old Sydney Beer.

The End.

√ OUR DEFENCES.

^1/ The glamour boys from Aussie

Are prisoners of war to day

After fighting a loosing battle

Trying to hold the Jap at bay

^2/ Our mates in the Middle East

Said we were on a holiday

Or taking a rest cure

In the jungle of Malaya.

^3/ And so they called us choco's

A name we'll never live down

When we hear it we should feel proud

And not one of us should frown

^4/ For when history is written

about this rotten war

You'll find out as I said before

The deal we got was raw

^5/ Where was our vaunted Airforce

We never saw a plane

But each day Jap Squadrons

Time and time again

^6/ Just think of the scrap at Gemas

Dip your lids to the men of Muar

Batu Patah & Mersing

Where the hell was our rest cure

^7/ We know that Tobruk was besieged

For seven months or more

But it was not filled with civies

like here in Singapore.

^8/ When you ask the reason why

We laid down arms, gave in

A maternity home was bombed & shelled

Wasn't that a bloomin sin

^9/ The city was full of natives

With plenty of whites here too

Who could not leave the island

So what else could we do.

10/ Singapore was just shambles

And still they bombed & shelled

But they never broke through our lines

We had him well held

^11/ But if you had seen the slaughter

The streets with dead piled high